Gaius Julius Caesar was an ancient Roman politician who transformed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Caesar became an outstanding general, orator, writer, and reformer. The person was consul of the Roman Republic and then accomplished the conquest of all of Gaul and parts of Britain as proconsul. Caesar participated in the civil war, defeated their political opponents and became dictator in Rome, and received the title of emperor for life (Morstein-Marx, 2021). Hence, it is crucial to refining what caused the death of Julius and how it affected Rome.
The Family of Julius Caesar
The Roman military leader belonged to a noble family of the patricians of the Iulius. Significantly, the family of the future politician lived in prosperity. Caesar’s father, Gaius Julius, served in public office, and Caesar’s mother descended from the noble family of the Cotta (Wilson, 2017). Although the commander’s family was wealthy, Caesar had a childhood spent in the Roman district of Subura. Ancient historians describe Subura as a dirty and dank neighborhood devoid of intellectuals (Wilson, 2017). Caesar’s parents sought to provide their son with an excellent education: the child studied philosophy, poetry, and oratory, and also developed physically and learned equestrian sports (Wilson, 2017). Gaius Julius Caesar received a Roman education from childhood. The future ruler was a patriot and was not influenced by fashionable Greek culture.
The upbringing and education that Caesar received through the family contributed to Julius’ rise to power in Rome. Moreover, legends narrate that this dynasty began with Aeneas, who became famous in the Trojan War according to ancient Greek mythology. The story of Julius’ divine origin was known to the Roman nobility because the ruler’s relatives successfully disseminated this legend (Wilson, 2017). At the opportunity, Caesar was fond of recalling that the patricians of Julius had Gods. Thus, the noble family contributed to disseminating positive information about Julius Caesar in the public sphere.
Caesar’s Contribution to Success
Julius Caesar was one of ancient Rome’s most talented and influential military leaders and commanders. Caesar dipped into politics as a young man and became one of the favorites of the Populist Party. After the death of Sulla in 78 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome and became a successful prosecutor, extensively identifying oratorical abilities (Wilson, 2017). The ruler’s incredible capacity for work, talent for concentrating and issuing the right decisions at the right moment, and ability to win quickly and without delay were strong qualities. Thus, descendants today remember Julius’ famous phrase: “Veni, vidi, vici,” and Caesar became a model of success in achieving one’s goals (Wilson, 2017, p. 21). One of Caesar’s success components was that when man made a decision, Julius never waited to implement it. Moreover, it did not matter whether it was a military confrontation or a political decision; Caesar would select and immediately do whatever the ruler needed to do to make the decision a reality (Wilson, 2017). The ruler reacted instantly, not allowing opponents and adversaries even a break, thus winning time and opportunities for a speedy and immediate victory.
Roman People’s Perception of Caesar and the Assistance of the Population
Every nation enjoys a strong ruler and leader, which Julius Caesar was. First, Gaul was conquered, which added to Caesar’s rating among the masses of warriors and ordinary people. At the same time, in addition to a successful military policy, Julius Caesar was engaged in strengthening the state. Julius stopped the senseless and ruthless bloodshed (Morstein-Marx, 2021). Many soldiers received cash payments and plots of land as an award for effective service. All of this made Caesar a ruler loved by the people and to whom the public was loyal, despite Julius Caesar’s desire for unrestricted royal power.
Caesar also understood that a ruler needed the support of all segments of Roman society, from the wealthy patricians to the urban plebs. Therefore, Caesar declared all who would take a neutral position friends, which was a most elegant political move. The Romans remembered perfectly that Sulla had criticized even those who remained apathetic to the struggle between the Sullins and the followers of Mary (Morstein-Marx, 2021). At the same time, Caesar did not abandon attempts to negotiate with the Senate. Julius continued to take new steps to insulate Rome from the civil war with each success. In this way, Roman society sided with Caesar and supported the ruler in wars and elections.
The Emperor’s Enemies and Their Dissatisfaction with the Ruler
The governor also had a large number of opponents who were dissatisfied with the rule of Julius Caesar. In 65 and 63 B.C., one of the political conspirators, Lucius Sergius Catilina, attempted acts of revolution (Ogutcu, 2017). Marcus Tullius Cicero, an adversary of Caesar, tried to accuse Julius of being involved in conspiracies. However, Cicero was unable to provide the necessary evidence and failed. Similarly, Marcus Porcius Cato, the informal leader of the Roman Senate, also testified against Caesar and ensured that Gaius Julius emerged from the Senate persecuted by threats. In 61 B.C. Gaius Julius’s trip to distant Spain as proprietor was postponed for a long time because of huge debts (Ogutcu, 2017). The general Marcus Licinius Crassus vouched for Gaius Julius and covered a portion of Gaius’s debts. When the new propretor arrived at the destination, the individual had to face the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants with Roman authority.
Caesar assembled a militia and began to fight the citizens who were dissatisfied with Julius’ rule. The commander with an army of twelve thousand came to the mountain range of Serra da Estrela and ordered the locals to leave the area. They refused to move, and Gaius Julius attacked them (Ogutcu, 2017). The Highlanders retreated across the Atlantic to the islands of Berlenga, interrupting all their pursuers. Dissatisfaction with Caesar’s policies and behavior grew among the republicans. The ruler was credited with a relationship with Queen Cleopatra, who had moved to the capital (Ogutcu, 2017). Then Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus conspired to kill the dictator.
The Governance of Caesar
Administration in Rome was inevitably broken, and Caesar stayed in power at all times, either as consul or as dictator. In 78 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome after the death of Sulla. Julius’ political career was built on eradicating the Sullan system in the Republic (Wilson, 2017). The ruler was engaged in supporting people who suffered repression. With openness and generosity, Caesar wormed his way into the hearts of the Roman masses. In 65 B.C., as an Aedile, Gaius Julius staged enormous games for the people (Wilson, 2017). This was to enhance the popularity among the population, but these events put Caesar in debt.
When Julius seized Roman power, a dictator became a leader and took advantage of the situation. Caesar changed the composition of the Senate and also transformed the social order of the empire. Thus, the lower classes stopped coming to Rome as the dictator eliminated subsidy payments and reduced bread distributions. Caesar was also engaged in construction while in office: a new building named after Caesar was erected in Rome, where the senate meeting was held (Wilson, 2017). In the central square of the Italian capital, an idol of the patroness of love and the Julian family, the Goddess Venus, was constructed (Wilson, 2017). Caesar was named emperor, and images and sculptures of the man adorned the temples and streets of Rome. Every word of the Roman general was equated with law. Therefore, Caesar’s rule was fair and selfish at the same time. This is because, in different years, Julius implemented reforms to enhance the citizens’ standard of living, which aimed at popularizing the ruler in society.
Reasons for Caesar’s Assassination and Consequences
The primary grievance of the rivals through Gaius Julius was the strengthening of personal power and the pursuit of Caesar’s royal authority. It is important to note that the Roman governor died on March 15, 44 B.C. (Ogutcu, 2017). The cause of death is a spell of senators who dwelt because of the four-year rule of the dictator. Caesar also began an active campaign to be considered a deification of oneself by minting portraits on coins. At the same time, the ruler turned his birthdays into a religious celebration and the construction of temples in ruler’s honor.
In addition, Caesar also defiantly refused to rise from the throne when the senators came and constantly walked around wearing a laurel wreath. This provoked discussions that Caesar would be elected king, and society would finally forget the republic’s age-old foundations. Therefore, Gaius Julius Caesar was stabbed in the Senate building with daggers. There were 14 men involved in the conspiracy, but Marcus Young Brutus, son of Servilia, is considered the principal (Ogutcu, 2017). Caesar loved Brutus infinitely and was trusted, placing the young man in a higher position and protecting the young man from hardship (Ogutcu, 2017). Accordingly, the reasons for the death were Caesar’s ambition and desire for unlimited power.
After the conspiracy was committed, the Senate granted amnesty to Caesar’s murderers, which was suggested by Caesar’s friend and co-consul, Marc Antony. Nevertheless, the uproar among the populace forced Brutus and Cassius to flee the city, and soon the republic erupted into a series of civil wars. Thereafter, armies led by Caesar’s allies clashed with supporters of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in Macedonia (Ogutcu, 2017). Aware of their defeat, the two Assassins once again fled and committed suicide.
Responsibility
After Caesar’s assassination, a new testament became known: the great dictator nominated a grandnephew, Octavian, as the successor and inheritor. Octavian’s patron was the famous orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. In October 43 B.C., Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus formed a second triumvirate (Wilson, 2017). Nearly ten years later, Octavian removed Lepidus from the political arena, followed by Antony. Octavian Augustus remained in the memory of humanity as the significant ruler of the great Rome, which was at the peak of its power. The emperor fought for power when the republican system of Rome was dying. During Octavian’s administration, Rome was experiencing a golden age of culture, a time of tremendous poets (Wilson, 2017). Hence, Caesar’s successor stabilized the political situation in Rome and continued the empire’s prosperity.
Conclusion
Therefore, Julius Caesar was a prominent military leader who was capable of implementing military plans bravely and decisively, with deliberation and skill, and quickly and confidently dealing with all obstacles. At the same time, after Caesar’s long government, a dictatorship began to take shape. The usurpation of power did not find support among specific segments of the Roman population. Consequently, a group of senators organized a spell to kill Caesar and restore the Republic. Thus, the man who could be considered the first Roman emperor died.
References
Morstein-Marx, R. (2021). Julius Caesar and the roman people. Cambridge University Press.
Ogutcu, M. (2017). “Julius Caesar”: Tyrannicide made unpopular. Parergon, 34(1), 109-128. doi/10.3316/ielapa.150509899859202
Wilson, R. (2017). Julius Caesar. Bloomsbury Publishing.